Friday, July 29, 2011

Artist Spotlight: Unknown Mortal Orchestra

I'm always cautious when I see something labeled as lo-fi. It's not an aesthetic I dislike, indeed some of my favourite albums hold such qualities, but to me too much music with such a tag is simply throwaway and uses it's stripped down charm to mask the fatal flaws in other aspects of its creation. Thankfully, this is not the case with Unknown Mortal Orchestra. As well as knowing their way around a good hook, this Portland trio display an adventurous streak, melding indie rock, psychedelica and hip hop into a heavily distorted treat. Their self-titled debut album is gaining them a steadily growing fanbase in the indie underground, and if it's anything to go by, this could be just the first step towards far wider recognition.